Recurring Nightmare
by CBIzumi
Summary: My first NMBC story! ^^ Jack and Sally notice Zero's depressive attitude, and decide to get him a playmate. But when Oogie Boogie returns, will the new pet be the difference between "life" and "death"? Please read and review! ^^


Well, this is my first attempt at a TNBC story ^^;; To be honest, I don't expect a lot of reviews, seeing as how there's not much in this area of ff.net yet. I think it's a pretty good stand-alone story. Please review it, it's a very good read. ^^ I'd appreciate it. Ok, disclaimer time: TNBC is not mine, nor are it's characters. The lyrics at the beginning and end of the story are from the movie's opening song (duh). However, Verie (pronounced Veerie) is my own creation, that little b-----well, you get the idea :P Oh, I almost forgot. Greek fire, which is later on in the story, is oil heated deep within the earth. When thrown, it explodes on compact. Anyway, storytime! Enjoy!  
  
  
  
~*Boys and girls of every age*~  
  
~*Wouldn't you like to see something strange?*~  
  
~*Come with us and you will see*~  
  
~*This our town of Halloween…*~  
  
  
  
Recurring Nightmare  
  
The sun rose high over Halloweentown, as the late morning began. Below, in the town, a few citizens were out and about. The witches were gathering water from the center square fountain for a brew, while the Harlequin Demon and the Devil were arguing over who owned the patch of wolfsbane in the cemetery. Lock, Shock, and Barrel were chasing each other through the streets, and the corpse mother was taking her child for his morning walk. However, up in the library of the Skellington home, a seemingly innocent scene was about to take place.  
  
"How can I make it more exciting…" Jack muttered, as his long, bony fingers gingerly turned the page in a book older than he. Scattered across the desk that was opposite from his bed were other books, of varying ages, and the Mayor's Halloween blueprints. Jack scratched the back of his head, then folded his fist under his chin.  
  
"Having trouble?" a sudden voice asked. Jack turned to look over his shoulder, and saw the ragdoll Sally approaching him.  
  
"Yes, I am" Jack sighed. "I can't think of a way to make Halloween here scarier"  
  
"It doesn't sound easy" Sally commented.  
  
"It's not" Jack confirmed. Sally wheeled a chair over beside Jack's, sat down, and placed her hand over his.  
  
"Well, I'm sure you'll think of something" she comforted. "Now, I need to talk to you about something else"  
  
"What?" Jack asked, a slightly saddened tone to his voice.  
  
"Have you noticed a change in Zero's attitude lately?" Sally questioned.  
  
"A change?" Jack repeated.  
  
"Zero doesn't seem to be the peppy pup he was. He seems depressed" Sally explained. Jack tapped one finger on the desk, and closed his eyes. After a moment he looked at Sally.  
  
"Now that you mention it, Zero has seemed to be less interested in the things he used to like" Jack stated.  
  
"You've had him for a long time, right? Has he ever been like this before?" Sally asked.  
  
"Not any times that I can think of" Jack answered. "What could be wrong?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking that he was lonely. Maybe we should get a second pet, a playmate" Sally suggested.  
  
"I suppose that would work. And we can go now. I need a break from all this anyway" Jack said, gesturing to the clutter across the desk. Sally nodded, and the two stood up from their chairs and walked downstairs.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
In a place far from view of most of Halloweentown, a small house sat at the top of a crooked, rotting tree which grew from a deep chasm. A wide, metal pipe led from one side of the house, and into the huge, swollen tree trunk. A large, dark and dank room was here, many large casino games grossly enlarged and deformed. In the center of the immense roulette wheel, which was placed in the center of the room, was a large, groundlevel pool of yellow muck. A small insect skittered across the floor, passing the pool, as it scurried to one part of the room. When it came to a halt it cried out shrilly. Soon a whole horde of other bugs joined the first. After a bit of insectoid chatter, the clusters of eyes of each bug began to glow a bright, vibrant red.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Ah, Jack, Sally, welcome!" the pet shop owner greeted, his head sitting on the counter that his body stood behind. "How may I help you?" he asked.  
  
"We're looking for a playmate for Zero" Sally announced, stopping at the counter. Jack continued on, browsing. As Sally and the shop owner talked, Jack looked at several cages and aquariums. He passed a group of skeletal lizards, a huge python hanging from a fake tree, and a tank full of pirhanas before stopping near the back. He sighed, absentmindedly placing a hand on a shadow covered shelf. He failed to notice a small pair of red eyes shining from the darkness.  
  
"Jack, I'd be careful if I were you" the shop owner warned, walking over to the pumpkin king with his head tucked under one arm.  
  
"Why?" Jack asked. No sooner did he say that than he felt a small pair of fangs clamp down on his index finger. Jack cried out in pain and drew his hand back. His hand's small but sudden jerk downwards alerted him to the 8 inch long black vampire bat hanging from his forefinger.  
  
"That's why" the shop owner sighed, placing his head on a nearby shelf. "Verie, let go" he instructed, reaching forward to remove the bat. He pried Verie's jaws from Jack's finger, and Jack shook his head in pain. The shop owner held Verie in his hands, stroking her fur.  
  
"May I see Verie?" Sally asked. The shop owner nodded (sort of) and put the bat in Sally's hands. The ragdoll looked over the animal, lightly stroking Verie's fur.  
  
"She's a cutie isn't she?" the shop owner said, smiling. Sally nodded, then giggled as Verie latched her feet onto one of Sally's fingers and hung from the doll's hand, stretching out her wings before tucking them against her body again.  
  
"Jack, why don't we get Verie?" Sally asked.  
  
"You've got to be kidding" Jack said. Sally shook her head, then walked over to the counter, the shop owner retrieving his head, then following. Upon reaching the counter Sally paid for Verie, glanced at Jack, and walked out. Jack sighed, his shoulders sinking slightly, before following Sally out.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Back where what had been Oogie Boogie's place, the spiders in the insect army were following a chalk pattern drawn on the stone floor, leaving their silk behind as they run. The other bugs were gathered around the working arachnids. As what the spiders were "knitting" began to take shape, a low hiss chorused through the congregation of insects.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Zero floated near the rolling ladder in the library/Jack's room, barking happily. Verie was hanging from one rung, using her wing claws to make funny faces at the ghost dog. Jack sat at the desk near the window, chin in the palm of one bony hand, the fingers on the other tapping the wooden surface of the desk. His eyes were closed.  
  
"I'm never going to get anything done…" Jack muttered. Suddenly he lurched forward, hitting the desk hard, as Verie unexpectedly slammed into the back of his head. She flew up to the ceiling, hanging from one of the rafters. Jack sat up, looking at her, rubbing the impact spot.  
  
"Stupid bat…" he mumbled. Verie stuck her tongue out at him. Jack sighed, then walked downstairs, partly to see if Sally wanted to take a walk with him, but mostly to get away from Verie, who watched him go, then looked at Zero and shrugged.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
That night Verie flew, alone, over Halloweentown, her eyes scanning the cityscape below as her ears listened to the hustle and bustle of its citizens. She yawned a bit, hearing nothing out of the ordinary, not that she expected much, anyway. Suddenly, evil laughing reached the bat's ears. She looked around in confusion, until she realized the sounds were coming from the outskirts of town. She flew as fast as her wings would take her, eventually coming to a stop at the window that led into Oogie Boogie's place. What she saw inside made her gasp.  
  
The bright yellow pool in the middle of the room was bubbling furiously. Jack and Sally, bound from their shoulders to their waists, were hanging back to back from the 8 ball connected to the ceiling. Standing at the edge of the pool, however, was what startled Verie most. Oogie Boogie, his body made from spider silk, was glaring up at his bound and gagged captives. He folded his arms, and smirked.  
  
"Well, I'd like to see you two get out of it this time" he laughed. Sally tried to yell at him, but her gag prevented her from doing anything out of a few disgruntled grunts. "You two really should have made sure all my bugs died. But they didn't, did they? No, they multiplied!" Oogie Boogie thundered. "And now you two are going to make a very satisfying supper" he hissed. Outside, at the window, Verie blinked once. She turned to fly away, but stopped short when Sally's muffled cries for help reached her keen ears. The bat turned, and landed on the ledge. She looked back inside, her eyes moving up and down the rope, then moving to Oogie Boogie, whose arm was reaching for the lever to drop Sally and Jack. Verie's fur ruffled, and she flew into the huge dungeon, a horrible screeching ripping its way out of her throat.  
  
"What the…" Oogie Boogie said, as Verie circled overhead. He ducked as Verie swooped down, then came back up and did it again. "Go away you stupid bat!" Oogie Boogie growled. He swatted at Verie, knocking her to the floor. "That takes care of her" he said, again reaching for the lever. Oogie Boogie then had to turn, as more shrieks filled the air. He saw several more bats flying from the darkest reaches of his casino. They all began to attack Oogie Boogie, as Verie regained her strength, and flew up to Jack and Sally. She grabbed Sally's gag with her teeth, and began to pull it away. When that was done, Verie did the same with Jack's, although decidedly more violently than she had removed Sally's.  
  
"No! I'm not going to be beaten by a bunch of flying rats!" Oogie Boogie shouted, trying to knock the bats away. However, he failed to notice that the bats were pushing him towards the pool. Oogie Boogie continued to swat at the tiny mammals, until his foot slipped over the edge of the floor. He looked over his shoulder in horror as he fell backwards into his own most horrid torture device. As his defeated hiss faded away, the bats were working on getting Sally and Jack down. They slammed over and over into the lever, until it was forced down to the floor. Jack and Sally started to fall rapidly, but a second group of bats threw their bodies into the two, effectively swinging them over to safety. As the bats that had helped Verie returned to their homes, Verie began to tear at the ropes with her teeth. When Jack and Sally were free, they got to their feet. Verie happily flew into Sally's arms, as Jack took a few steps away and crossed his arms.  
  
"Aww, little Verie, thank you!" Sally said happily. Verie squeaked a reply. Sally then noticed Jack. "What's wrong?"  
  
"That bat came to save you" Jack stated. "I was just part of the deal"  
  
"Come on, that's not true" Sally said.  
  
"Yes, it is. That bat hates me, if you haven't noticed"  
  
"Jack Skellington, are you jealous?" Sally asked teasingly.  
  
"Me? Jealous of that creature? Ha!" Jack exclaimed.  
  
"Sure sounds like it to me" Sally said.  
  
"Look, I'm just tired of the strange disliking that bat has taken to me" Jack sighed. Verie glanced off to the side, then flew towards Jack. She stopped just beside him, and he turned to look at her. Verie screeched once, then licked the side of Jack's skull. Sally giggled a bit, as Jack looked at Verie in surprise.  
  
"I think that's an apology" Sally said in between giggles. Jack smiled, then looked at the doll.  
  
"Let's go home"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A week later, the citizens of Halloweentown were waiting anxiously in the town square. As the Halloween moon rose higher in the sky, the clock struck midnight. Silence filled the air.  
  
Suddenly a horrible screeching echoed throughout the entire town, followed by the sound of hoofbeats. An explosion sounded, then another, and another. Everyone looked around in a mixture of surprise, horror, and confusion, until a most terrifying sight came into view. The noise was Jack, riding a skeletal horse, dressed like normal save for a jack-'o-lantern head. Horse and rider were set ablaze, and Jack was throwing handfuls of Greek fire from side to side, creating small explosions with each hit. Flying a few feet ahead of him, like a siren, was Verie, letting out screeches that were more horrible than any living creature could duplicate. As they drew closer to the crowd Jack's high pitched cackle sounded over Verie's shrieks. The gathering watched, spellbound, as Jack and Verie leapt high over the fountain, disappearing in a fiery blaze. Jack's laugh came again, sending chills down the crowd's spines. A sudden, swirling flame at the top of the fountain's statue called everyone's attention to the cement reptile. The flames seemed to burst apart, revealing Jack, arms crossed, the most evil of expressions on his face. Verie was hovering above him in silence. When Jack soundlessly leapt to the ground, the crowd broke out of their trance and began to cheer.  
  
"And so ends our greatest Halloween night ever!!!" Jack's voice boomed, as the crowd screamed louder. Suddenly Jack was hit in the back of his head, although it was barely hard enough to make him take a step forward. He turned to Verie, who was smiling. Jack held out his hand, and Verie flew to it, hanging from one finger. Jack held the bat out over the crowd, as the citizen's cheers faded filled the chilly night air.  
  
~*In this town*~  
  
~*We call home*~  
  
~*Everyone hail*~  
  
~*To the Pumpkin Song*~  
  
  
  
Well, that's my story! Hope you liked it, please read and review! ^^ And I hope you don't have nightmares *evil laugh* 


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